(CNN) - The CNN Political Ticker is live blogging the CNN Southern Republican Debate in Charleston, South Carolina. Check here for live updates throughout the event and be sure to follow @PoliticalTicker, @CNNPolitics and use #CNNDebate.

9:44 p.m. ET - Paul said as a doctor, he had strong views on when life begins. Said Republicans should be looking at funding of abortions.

9:44 p.m. ET - @LisaDCNN: CROWD SCREAMS: For Ron Paul to get to talk about the abortion debate as John King about to move on. Someone near me: "let the doctor speak!"

9:43 p.m. ET - Audience booed when Paul wasn't asked about abortion. Paul was given a chance to answer.

9:41 p.m. ET - Romney defended record as pro-life governor. Said his record is solid. Gingrich said as speaker he passed bill ending partial birth abortions.
9:40 p.m. ET - Santorum said Gingrich had pushed social issues to the back burner.

9:38 p.m. ET - Romney said health law did not pay for abortions. Said his integrity was being questioned.

9:32 p.m. ET - Romney said he had been consistent on immigration, and that he actually agreed with Santorum on the importance of enforcing immigration laws.

9:30 p.m. ET - @DLoesch: Someone give Santorum a picture book of Gingrich's immigration answer, because it flew over his head. Disingenuous.

9:29 p.m. ET - Santorum said Romney had changed his position on immigration. Said Gingrich's position on illegal immigration was the same as President Obama's. Said, "If you want to be an American, the first thing you should do is respect our laws and obey our laws."

9:27 p.m. ET - Romney said illegal immigration was not a tough issue. He said America should build a fence, and ensure employers verify workers' immigration status.

9:25 p.m. ET - Gingrich said he would establish English as the official language of the United States. Said he would modify visa system. Gingrich said he would make process of deportation faster and easier. Gingrich also lauded his "guest worker" plan.

9:24 p.m. ET - Question from the audience: How would you deal with illegal immigration?

9:23 p.m. ET - Paul said he would work on his delivery. Said he might speak a little slower. Said he would continue with his message.

9:21 p.m. ET - Gingrich said he would skip first 3 months of his campaign and begin with an internet-based operation.

Romney said he would "work to get 25 more votes in Iowa."

Santorum said he "wouldn't change a thing." Said being in the final four was an amazing achievement.

9:21 p.m. ET - Question: What is the one thing you would do differently in this campaign?

9:15 p.m. ET - @AriFleischer: I get the sense Romney and Newt pandered on SOPA. Santorum gave the most thoughtful answer.

9:13 p.m. ET - Paul said he was glad the bill has stalled in Congress. Said Republicans had frequently been on the wrong side of the issue. Santorum said property rights should be respected, but that the legislation had gone too far.

9:13 p.m. ET - Gingrich: "I favor freedom." Said large companies shouldn't dictate what Americans can do on the internet. Romney said the bill was far too intrusive, and would have a negative impact on the tech industry.

9:09 p.m. ET - Paul said we needed to look at the reasons companies are sending jobs overseas. Said Apple was a good company that still employs thousands of Americans.

9:07 p.m. ET - Santorum said under his plan, Apple would get large tax incentives if they brought jobs back to the United States.

9:06 p.m. ET - Question: Apple has thousands of workers in China. What would you do about that?

9:04 p.m. ET - Romney said he would "maybe" release a few years of his income tax returns, as his father George Romney did when he ran for president. Audience booed. Said he wouldn't apologize for being successful.

9:02 p.m. ET –Gingrich said if Romney had something damaging in his tax returns, he should release them before the general election. Santorum said his tax forms were at his home, and he would release them when he was able to retrieve them.

8:59 p.m. ET - Question from audience: When will you release your tax returns? Gingrich said "an hour ago." Paul said he has no intention of releasing his tax returns, saying he has so conflicts of interest. Romney said he would release his in April when the most up-to-date forms are available.

8:58 p.m. ET - Gingrich said he went back to Ronald Reagan playbook when he was House speaker. Said Romney did very well under rules he put in place. Romney said when he was a businessman he pleaded for Washington to get out of the way.

8:53 p.m. ET - Santorum said he knew Gingrich's leadership style from his time in the House. Mentioned ethics charges against Gingrich, and said that Gingrich had "an idea a minute."

8:52 p.m. ET - Gingrich defended his record. Listed off achievements made during his time as House Speaker. Cites job creation, balanced budgets. Said "We need leadership prepared to take on big projects."

8:49 p.m. ET - Santorum reacted to Gingrich's claim that he wasn't ready for something on the scale of the presidency. Santorum said his success in Iowa and New Hampshire were evidence of his staying power. Said Gingrich's claims "were not cogent thoughts." Said Gingrich had "worrisome moments when something's going to pop."

8:41 p.m. ET - @SamFeistCNN: We will ask @speakergingrich about his tax returns next on the #CNNDebate.

8:40 p.m. ET - Gingrich said he led the opposition to HillaryCare when he was in the House.

8:39 p.m. ET - Newt Gingrich's campaign released 2010 tax documents during the CNN debate, reporting $3,142,066 adjusted gross income and paying approximately 31 percent of that amount in federal taxes, or $994,708. Mitt Romney, much of whose income is understood to be from investments and taxed at a lower rate, said on Tuesday his effective tax rate is "closer to the 15 percent rate than anything," and suggested he would release his documents in April.

8:38 p.m. ET - Romney defended the Massachusetts health care law, said people in the state were better off.

8:38 p.m. ET – @jimacostacnn: Santorum on Romney and Gingrich supporting an indiv mandate: These are two folks who don’t present the clear contrast that I do.

8:36 p.m. ET - Santorum said Gingrich was for an individual health care mandate. Said Romney and Gingrich were "playing footsies with the left."

8:35 p.m. ET - Santorum used the Obamacare question to go after Romney for his role in the Massachusetts health care law. Said the law was a model for Obamacare.

8:34 p.m. ET - Gingrich said he thought it would be possible to completely repeal Obamacare. Said he didn't trust Congressional staffs to pick through bill to repeal separate parts.

8:33 p.m. ET - Romney: we have to go after complete repeal. Said he would replace with new bill that offers health care through a market.

8:30 p.m. ET - Question from the audience: Do any of the candidates believe Obamacare can be repealed in its entirety?

8:28 p.m. ET - Romney said veterans benefits should be handled at the state level.

8:27 p.m. ET - Santorum said Obama had cut benefits for veterans, said veterans should be given preference for jobs by employers.

8:25 p.m. ET - Paul said veterans more medical help when they return from war.

8:24 p.m. ET - Question: Should the federal government take steps to lower unemployment among veterans?

8:21 p.m. ET - Santorum said we need to talk about how to get people back to work in the manufacturing sector. Said we need to give manufacturers a leg up.

8:20 p.m. ET - Romney responded to Bain criticism, said "capitalism works." Listed companies he said were successful when taken over by Bain Capital.

soundoff(1,288 Responses)

Anonymous

Senator Rick is a no vote. Your a silver tongued attorney that twists everything around.

January 19, 2012 09:56 pm at 9:56 pm |

Michael Lee

Why hasn't any question or questions been geared toward how the candidate will protect and/or help out the middle class? The only answers were to help the 1% and the 99% will have to live with the scrapes they allow the middle class to have ... What does this say about our country when the middle class gets trashed day after day ?

January 19, 2012 09:57 pm at 9:57 pm |

John

Santorum is TOO conservative...that is his problem. He wants his hand in the laws of couples and bedrooms. Paul is the only sane guy. He might be goofy, but he is the only choice. Amen.

January 19, 2012 09:57 pm at 9:57 pm |

dreamer96

Newt calls Obama the most dangerous President in our history......GWBush/Cheney got us into this mess.

All these GOP candidates are more dangerous....go back to Clinton Era Taxes..bring back the middle class..

January 19, 2012 09:57 pm at 9:57 pm |

anna

Romney is so jealous of Obama, he can't see straight. His Company destroyed jobs......and replaced them with big box stores.

January 19, 2012 09:57 pm at 9:57 pm |

Lisa

So I guess only the rich who can afford to go where abortions are still legal can get abortions and the poor will have to go back to the back alley butchers. That was the way it was before and that is the way it will be again.

January 19, 2012 09:57 pm at 9:57 pm |

Christopher Pacheco

Rick sure likes to pat himself on the back all the time....

January 19, 2012 09:57 pm at 9:57 pm |

mac gardner

Reagan democrats would never vote for Reagans economic policies again. He started this mess.

January 19, 2012 09:58 pm at 9:58 pm |

Beth

Having lived in SC for 10 years, I saw that our education system really needs reform! Send these kids to school 12 months a year until age 20 – teach technologies, real life skills like plumbing, auto repair, and make sure they learn about economics and how to manage a business.

January 19, 2012 09:58 pm at 9:58 pm |

757voter

It is so obvious that CNN is trying to filter attention to 3 out of 4 off the candidates. It is sad when the audience has to refocus the moderator on a candidate that the PEOPLE want to hear from.
I'm pretty sure the moderator is taking his marching orders from the "ear piece".
What will the media do if Ron Paul wins, or comes in 2nd in South Carolina.?
You can only call someone an old coot so long before it shows your media bias.

January 19, 2012 09:58 pm at 9:58 pm |

John Lowery

It would be interesting to know whether the debaters think Obama violated Article Two, Section Two, the recess appointment clause in his recess appointments. The clause gives the President the power to "fill up vacancies that occur when the Senate is in Recess". The appointments he made were vacant before the Senate shifted from full Session to "pro-forma" Sessions. It's not clear they were ever "not in Session", but if they were, would his appointments be constitutional?

January 19, 2012 09:58 pm at 9:58 pm |

Robert M. Wagner

@Kitti, "only Congress shall have the authority to declare war." I know what Art 1 Sec 8 says. Ron Paul claims that the only way for war to be declared is by having a "formal declaration of war." What does that mean? The US Constitution is silent as to how you declare war. In my example, we are not at war with Pakistan, we discover Osama is hiding out in Pakistan. Does the President have to call a joint session, take a vote, broadcast to all Americans that we are going to war, and then hope Osama wasn't watching CNN? Or do we declare war like we did when Adams fought the Quasi-War or Jefferson and Madison fought the Barbary Pirates. Neither of our first 2 wars were "formally declared."

January 19, 2012 09:58 pm at 9:58 pm |

Anonymous

Earlier I read on the blog that Rick Santorum was one of the most corrupt Senators in congress. Why isn't the media reporting on this.

January 19, 2012 09:58 pm at 9:58 pm |

Cory

There is a thing called separation of church and state. The constitution is not a declaration to God, but to all people as a whole, no matter what religion one follows.

January 19, 2012 09:58 pm at 9:58 pm |

Sharon

I thought the Judicial Branch made the dicission on laws. they are our Judges. I am not at an age where I would have an abortion, it is a women who can have babies decission. It is their body.

January 19, 2012 09:58 pm at 9:58 pm |

John

You could tell host John was flustered by Paul calling him on not calling him. GO back to being a paperboy.

January 19, 2012 09:58 pm at 9:58 pm |

Anonymous

Thank you MITT ROMNEY!

January 19, 2012 09:59 pm at 9:59 pm |

Linda

WHY WHY WHY do you and the rest of the media TOTALLY IGNORE the ONLY MAN that loves the American people... RON PAUL??? You gave him so little time and he is wiser and more passionate than ALL three of the other's combined. Listen to them... Romney ravaged businesses, made people unemployed, and laughed all the way to the bank. Gingrich gave his wife divorce papers as she was headed to the hospital for cancer, cheated on his second wife and lies, lies, lies. Santorum is too young and naive, not articulate enough to stand for truth. Ron Paul has been consistent in seeing the reality and speaking the truth. WHY didn't you show him the same respect during the debate as the others? It was just more of the same we've had for years... AMERICA is ready for something different... RON PAUL... the next PRESIDENT OF THE USA

January 19, 2012 09:59 pm at 9:59 pm |

Gemini Girl

I have gotten to the point that I have to hit the MUTE button everytime the perennial liar, Willard Romney talks. He is is one-note speaker, just like Michelle Bachmann was, so I seriously can't stand him talking anymore!

January 19, 2012 09:59 pm at 9:59 pm |

Proud American

Way to go Mitt. Our next President.

January 19, 2012 09:59 pm at 9:59 pm |

Darly314

Santorum will ban condoms I gather.

January 19, 2012 09:59 pm at 9:59 pm |

GI Joe

I believe women have rights. They should NOT be forced to have babies if they are raped, young, sick, or just because some old white man says they have to.

January 19, 2012 09:59 pm at 9:59 pm |

Smith

What is this? Why wasn't Paul allowed to give a closing statement? Are you people really THAT terrified of the man?

January 19, 2012 10:00 pm at 10:00 pm |

Anonymous

About the Social Seurity Administration. What about all the money the SS Administration has collected from llegals with fake SS#? Why don't they address this issue? Why do they accept the money? No candidate has talked about this.